Jane the Virgin: “Chapter Twenty-One”

This week on Jane the Virgin, Jane is looking so, so pregnant. So pregnant that in her fantasy sequence where she went into labour halfway through her high school reunion speech, I completely bought into it. Of course she’s giving birth in front of the class of 2010! She’s under duress! And so emphatically pregnant!

I mentioned Jane’s physical state off the top, but it’s possible that this is doing her a disservice, since the other takeaway from her fantasy meltdown is that Jane wants to be more than a pregnant virgin. She wants to be her own woman. And in “Chapter Twenty-One,” Jane starts seriously considering how she can be just that.

With no men complicating her life (directly, anyway), Jane has the opportunity to think about herself right now, and she’s thinking hard about her career path and working on her novel–albeit with an awfully madcap schedule. Ten pages a day, Jane? Are you out of your mind? What are you, some kind of wizard?

(Actually, knowing Jane, probably. Nobody weathers being a student, having a full-time job, and being accidentally inseminated by your boss’s ex-wife with that much grace and aplomb. I’ve got your number now, Jane. Wizardry.)

The other part of Jane’s life that got a bit more attention in this week was her friendship with Lina. Jane the Virgin has always had romance covered and consistently and refreshingly delivered a warm portrayal of family life with the Villanueva women, but female friendship for Jane has lapsed in gaps. She went to that birthday party early in the season and Lina is frequently around as a sounding board in the staff room of the Marbella, but amidst the telenovela tomfoolery, Jane’s close female friendships fell by the wayside. “Chapter Twenty-One” is different in that Lina is there from the opening scenes (“You guys are so cheesy,” she tells Jane and Xo, and we all laugh and agree but, lbr, secretly love it) to coaxing Jane into the reunion with the help of a fabulous Targét necklace (Jane the Virgin continues to be the best Target ad on air). And her presence has weight. It has depth. Going into Season 2, I would love to see more of Lina as a friend Jane can trust and can lean on.

And on the other side of friendship this week, Rogelio and Xo begin to repair their relationship when she helps him out of a sticky situation involving his fear of heights. This is the perfect B plot for the following reasons:

I’m so happy Rogelio is back on the Passions of Santos! I believe in you, my brogelio!!

There’s something impossibly endearing about Rogelio being afraid of heights. Maybe it’s the way he clutched at Xo when that platform lifted up. Maybe he’s just that cute.

Rogelio is going for an EGOT! Has there ever been a twist that felt more right? I mean, other than when Tracy Jordan went for an EGOT? Maybe his glamma (and IRL EGOT achiever) Rita Moreno can send a few tips his way!

If it seems like I’ve blown past last week’s bombshell about Jane seeking sole custody, it’s because I totally have. But to be fair, they sort of swept it under the rug too. I don’t love that a question as ethically complicated as custody was boiled down to a scheme to double cross Petra (as much as I do love Jane gleaning tips from a former high school mean girl). But with the finale looming ahead, I suppose that something had to give.

Though it hardly even feels like there’s only one episode to go, does it? “Chapter Twenty-One” ended on a soft, romantic note between Jane and Michael, hardly the penultimate Season 1 cliffhanger I expected. And there are still so many questions in the air!

Will Jane’s baby pop out a boy? Did Michael’s old partner run off to stir up trouble? What’s up with Luisa’s hot-but-somehow-suspicious wrestler girlfriend? What will Petra get up to now? Her mom may be incarcerated, but she’s got an eye for revenge and Milos waiting in the wings. And for the love of god, where is Sin Rostro!?

Make us proud, JTV. I’m on pins and needles waiting to see what you do with your finale!

“Chapter Twenty-Two” of Jane the Virgin airs May 11 2015 at 9 p.m. on the CW. Canadians can catch the show on Shomi.